Actuator cut-off for voting-machines.



0. CHRISTENSEN. ACTUATOR OUT-OFF FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1909.

A FOWABOVE 3 01 finesse s O6 )ZMM. 1 7 3 5% 755/6/2767! .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRIST CHRISTENSEN, OF INDIA IIAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MES'NE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO EMPIRE VOTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A

GOBPOBATIoN on NEW YORK.

ACTUATOR CUT-OFF FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct; 11, 1910.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, CHRIST CHRISTENSEN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actuator Out- Oifs for Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

It sometimes occurs that one party may ratify the nomination of the candidate of another party and in some States it is possible for the name of the ratified candidate to appear on the face of the machine in as' many different places as there are parties who have nominated him. When this occurs as to a candidate for a group oflice, some provision must be made in many States to prevent a voter from voting cumulatively for the ratified candidate, and the object of m invention is to provide a simple yet e cient attachment for this purpose, the attachment being especially designed for use in connection with the Columbia machine, which is characterized by a completely rotatable voting key, but the device is not lin1- ited to such use.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a front .elevation of the face of the machine equipped in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective detail of the attachment in operative position; Fig. 4 an end elevation in initial position, and Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the range of movement of the attachment.

In the drawings I have shown my attachment as applied to a Columbia machine illustrated generall in my Patent No. 806,736, but by slig t modification the device may be readily adapted for use in connection with many other machines.

In the drawings I have shown three rows of keys, A, B, and C, arranged-in Vertical series 5, 6, 7 and 8. Each of the keys in the machine illustrated is provided with a squared shank 10 which lies within the casing of the machine (only the face plate 11 being shown) and upon this squared shaft is mounted a counting mechanism 12 preferably of the type shown in my Patent No. 7 95,178. The voting keys will be provided with any desirable form of interlocking mechanism (not shown in the drawings because it may be of any well known form).

My present attachment is an obstructor 13 adapted to be slipped upon the squared portion 10 of any key in order to prevent the actuation by the voter of that particular key to voted position, either to positively prevent such actuation or resist actuating movement to fairly warn a voter-0f the condition of the key. In the present case the obstructor 13 is shown as being formed of sheet metal comprising an end member 13' perforated to receive the portion 10, anda spring tongue 13 adapted to incase a counter 12 and hide it from view, the end of said spring tongue being adapted to engage a substantially fixed portion 15 of the machine so as to resist actuation of the key 10 to voted position. I

Supposing John Doe to have been originally nominated by the party represented by the row A and tohave been later nominated-by the party represented by row C. The election commissioners will thereupon place John Does name in horizontal row A and vertical row 6 (or any other vertical row). In the space for John Does name opposite key C6 there will be placed the announcement John DoeVote second row above, or any other desired notice, and one of the obstructors 13 will be placed upon shank 10 of'the key C6. Suppose then that a voter desires to vote for all the candidates in row A. He will be able to manipulate the keys in row A in the proper manner Without obstruction. If, however, a voter desires to vote for thecandidates in row C he will proceed to do so in an orderly manner until he reaches row G6 when he will find that an-attempt to operate this key is obstructed; Thereupon a reading of the announcement opposite this key on the face of-the machine will direct him to key A-G and he will find that he may turn this key without difficulty.

By this device it is possible to quickly prepare the machine for ratified candidates without the necessity of any elaborate and special interlocking mechanism and, when the polls have been closed and a reading of of said keys, and provided with a portion inspectors to the counter of the obstructed key so that no reading of this counter need be taken.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a voting machine, the combination, with a multiplicity of rotatable keys, of an obstructor adapted to be secured to any one of a rotating key having 'a square shank,-de tachable means capable of engaging with said square shank to prevent the rotation of the key.

4. An obstructor for-a voting key having a hood therein, a plate covering one end of i said hood and a square hole in said plate with which said obstructor' can engage the voting key.

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indiana olis, Indiana, this seventeenth day of July, sand nine hundred and seven.

CHRIST CHRISTENSEN. [L.S.]

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon, THOMAS W. MOMEANS.

D. one thou- 

